Tuesday, 29 January 2013

Many people start off taking pictures for their blog using a simple camera and then working their way up to those hefty, expensive ones that is a months wage to most. I however starting off taking pictures using my mobile phone as unforunately for me, somebody broke/borrowed/stole/destroyed my camera thus leaving it in a state that I simply couldn't use.

My mobile phone at the moment is the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc which has an 8 megapixel camera as well as the ability to shoot in HD if need be. This phone has served me well and has taken all the pictures on my blog to date. You can definitely tell that I've improved in taking pictures if you go through all my past blog posts, progressing from dark pictures using no background whatsoever to bright pictures with a white background.

Just over a week ago, my dads' partner Rebecca and I were discussing cameras as she had just bought one. I showed her the camera that I wanted for my birthday and we both agreed that I would need it before my birthday as I'm attending a bloggers meetup in April. Little did I know, that I would be receiving it much earlier than April.

My new camera is the Panasonic Lumix TZ25 which has 12.1 megapixels, the ability to shoot in full HD and 16x optical zoom amongst other amazing features. As well as receiving a new camera, I also got a 16GB memory card which will be very handy for taking lots of pictures as once. As well as a memory card, I received a Power Plus Digital Battery (spare battery) and a £15 gift vouchers for Amazon to spent on a camera case if need be.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with my new camera and I'm so excited to start taking better quality pictures from now on!

Saturday, 26 January 2013

Like many people, I've got quite a few items on my wishlist which I'm lusting after badly. Team that up with being on a spending ban and you have yourself a rather excessive wishlist of 300+ products, no lie! This week, I've been lusting after OPI's Nail Varnish in Don't Pretzel My Button. Now, I only have two OPI nail varnishes in my collection (Nail Envy + Divine Swine) and I'm wanting to change that by adding a nice nude colour to join them. Next up, is NARS Blush in Douceur - ever since I saw Emma from Milkteef do a review on it, I've been sold ever since! It's such a nice colour that makes your cheeks look ever so sculpted.Like everybody, I've been dying to get my hands on Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask purely because it's an amazing product for dry, dehydrated skin which I definitely have due to the cold winter months. MAC's Lipstick in Hue has been on my wishlist ever since I started blogging and I can definitely see myself wearing this on a daily basis when I do finally get my hands on it. I've really been wanting to try out YSL Touche Eclat Foundation purely because it's had such rave reviews and I just really like the packaging to be honest.Next up is NARS Highlighting Blush in Miss Liberty. My trusty highlighter, Collection 2000 Shimmer & Shade in Just Peachy, is starting to wear thin despite having another two in backup and ever since I saw Kate from gh0stparties rave about it, I've been wanting it ever since. Lastly, I've been lusting after La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo purely because it's a skin miracle product and I have been suffering with a few blemishes recently..

Friday, 25 January 2013

Many people belive that Arthritis only hits those of old age as their bones are weaker and more brittle than those younger than them. Many people believe that it's near impossible for young people to get arthritis as they're young, fit and healthy. I just wish that those people understood what it's like to be in the shoes of somebody who suffers from Arthritis and lived their life from day to day.

(Image from Weheartit)

Back at middle school, I was a very sporty kid. I always tried my best at PE and I was even on the school team for most sports. I loved playing hockey in particular as it was the one sport were you could get brutal but not necessarily mean it. However, when I moved to upper school, that all changed. I would still partcipate in sports but only when it was our PE lessons.In 2008/2009, I started suffering with an inflammed left foot which meant that I was permanently hobbling about everywhere. I visited doctor after doctor who always said the same thing and didn't take me seriously. "It's a sport injury - it will heal over time" they said. Little did they know, that I would soon start suffering from Arthritis which was caused by this sports injury.

(Image from Weheartit)

In November 2011, I had just started my new job which involved quite a lot of walking to and from town, going up and down the stairs and just generally more walking than normal. A few weeks after I started, my left foot became inflammed and I found myself being bound to my bed for almost a week. My doctor referred me to a podiatrist (foot doctor) who examined my foot. In non medical speech, he basically said that my two joints in particular on my second toe in my left foot, were rubbing against eachother, wearing themselves down which was causing the problems.He strapped my foot up, told me to invest in a pair of thick soled trainers and a walking stick. Learning to walk with a walking stick was the hardest thing to do as there is a certain knack to it which took me forever to learn. All the elder person definitely looked and stared at me whilst I walked down the streets and I just kept on telling myself that they were jealous of my pink walking stick.

(Image from Weheartit)

In those few short weeks before Christmas, my life pretty much revolved around my foot and everytime I stepped out of my front door, I had to have my walking stick and trainers on regardless. Those thick soled trainers did nothing for my foot because if anything, I found it more painful to walk in them than before. Over the Christmas period, I bought a pair of River Island UGGs. When they finally arrived, I put them straight on and started walking. For the first time in ages, I could walk without pain. I rang up my Dad in tears and he couldn't quite believe itthat a simple pair of £30 UGGs could change a sufferers life for good.

Although a few people love UGGS whilst many detest them, I simply wear them purely because they make my life a lot easier and I will continue wearing them until I feel comfortable walking in a different pair of shoes.

Wednesday, 23 January 2013

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I'd prefer my teeth to be considerably whiter than what they actually are. Although we all know that we can't achieve sparkling white teeth using products from the high street unless we turn to getting our teeth turned professionally. And saying that, I'm pretty sure that we've spent a few bob on products which claim to whiten your teeth only to realise that they don't actually work.

This is where BlanX comes in - their unique combination of ingredients is proven to give you healthy white teeth which in turn gives you a whiter smile. But how is that possible? BlanX has an active ingredient within their products called Artic Lichen (Iceland Moss to you and I) that combats the bacteria responsible for causing cavities. It removes bacteria that stick to the enamel and penetrates deeply into teeth to removed bacterial residues and stains caused by food and drink. It also helps to stop plaque from forming.

Did you know that standard whitening toothpastes often have a high RDA (Relative Dentine Abrasivity - the measure of how abrasive a toothpaste is according to its potential to remove part of the surface enamel during brushing) between 100 to 150 which may have harmful effects in the long run whereas BlanX has a low RDA of less than 70 which is very non-abrasive and is suitable and safe to use everyday.

Now onto the real test - does it live up to its claims or is it another cop-out product?

Well for starters, it's a whooping 100ml in a rather nifty plastic tube which means that you can squeeze out just the right amount and avoid getting messy. The smell of this is rather minty, mintier than some toothpastes I reckon although it tastes nothing like how it smells. Remember when you were little and you brushed your teeth with Aquafresh Milk Teeth Toothpaste? It tastes EXACTLY like that! You don't know quite how excited I was to find out that it tastes like that.. And yes, I do get excited about little things like that.

Now for the record, I have reasonably white teeth which could be whiter in my opinion. However I have four teeth on my bottom row which are very stubborn as no amount of brushing/using whitening products will remove/whiten the yellow-ish stains.

The first week of using this, I couldn't help but notice how cleaner my teeth felt and looked. They just looked so squeaky clean, almost as if I'd just come back from a cleaning at the dentists! I also noticed that my teeth looked slightly whiter than normal which is a good sign. Throughout the second week, I was using this in conjunction with another toothpaste (As I tend to live round Liams' quite a fair bit during the week). Despite this, I noticed that those four stubborn yellow stained teeth looked WHITER! More whiter than yellow I'd just like to point out! Unfortunately, there wasn't a key for what colour they were on the little handy BlanXometer shown below..

Overall, I do definitely have significantly whiter teeth than before I started using BlanX's Non-Abrasive Whitening Toothpaste and I will most definitely be repurchasing this time and time again! If you're wanting to start your journey into getting whiter teeth, then I would definitely recommend this toothpaste as a starting point!

BlanX Non-Abrasive Whitening Toothpaste along with BlanX's other products can be bought from many high-street places including Boots, Amazon and BlanX online. Prices range from £5.90 to £11.

Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Are you coming to the Nottingham #bbloggers meetup? If so then listen up!

You can find all the details about the Nottingham #bbloggers meetup on this post here. But I along with the other three girls have some exciting news to share with you all!

At the end of the meetup, many of us will be going for dinner at the one and only T.G.I Friday's at 5pm! If you'd like to have a look at the menu then click here although I'm pretty sure you don't need to plan ahead on what you're having as all their food and drinks are so yummy!

At this meal, there will be lots of special surprises including games and a few special things for you to take away with you. So for this, we'll need to know definite numbers of all those attending the meal so that we can ensure that we get everything sorted for the amount amount of people AND book the whole restaurant table.

SO.

If you plan on staying for the meal, then please leave a comment at the end of Sophia's post HERE with your email address. Sophia will then be in touch to confirm, pass on any information that you will need and also to get your skin type etc. Please only leave your email if you plan on coming to the meal, as there are lots of surprises planned for those attending and Sophia wants to make sure that everything goes right.

You can also tweet Sophia about the meal @tattooedtealady or email her directly tattooedtealady@gmail.com

The Nottingham #bbloggers meetup will be taking place on Saturday April 13th at 11am.

Monday, 21 January 2013

In a bid to start taking care of my hair, I've started taking up various steps such as using hair masks weekly and avoiding heat at all costs unless really necessary. Another step that I've taken up is using shampoos and conditioners which are suitable enough for my hair as it is rather dry and damaged. One combination that I've started using recently is the Schwarzkopf Gliss Asia Straight Shampoo & Condtioner which promises to turn rebellious, frizzy hair into more straighter, managable hair.

Schwarzkopf claims that the new formula which contains liquid keratin specifically targets and repairs damaged areas on the surface and deep inside the hair. The straightening formula contains bamboo and orchid essence which not only helps to keep your hair straighter but also adds intense shine.

I've been using these two products non stop for the past two weeks to see if they do live up to what they claim and I must admit that the results are definitely noticeable. My hair seems to dry quicker after using these and I don't feel the need to apply a hair oil to my ends as they seem to feel rather nourished after used. I've also noticed that my hair seems to be a lot more straighter than normal which means that I now feel more comfortable letting my hair down. Although my hair may be a lot straighter than before whilst using this combination, I wouldn't say that it adds intense shine to it which personally, doesn't bother me. The only downside I have about these two products, mainly the conditioner, is that if you use too much especially near the roots then you will end up with rather greasy hair.

I personally picked these two up from Poundland so it may be worth checking out your local store. If not, then try eBaying it.

Saturday, 19 January 2013

Like many people, I suffer with quite a few breakouts which mostly happen on or around my chin area. I never used to suffer with breakouts, only the occasional spot here and there. It's only when I got into blogging last year that I developed a skincare routine, that my skin decided that it wanted to make me suffer for putting it through hell and back.

Anti-blemish Skinetca is a fast acting skin clearing solution which claims to show an improvement within 2-3 days of using it twice a day. It's one of those products that is kind to skin, dermatologically tested with no side effects which contains no harsh chemicals which sinks into the skin quite quickly after applying.

I've been using this for the past couple of weeks and I've noticed a vast improvement in my skin. Although it hasn't stopped my breakouts completely, it's definitely reduced the amount of spots I get in each breakout which to me is definitely results. I've personally been using this as a toner and not just as a spot treatment as I find that it works just as well putting it all over the face rather than on just affected areas.

You can purchase Anti-blemish Skinetica from Skinetica for £9.99 or request your free 15ml sample here.

Friday, 18 January 2013

Some of you may remember that there was a #bbloggers meetup in Nottingham back in October which was organised by the truly amazing Sophia. The meetup was a most definitely a success and consisted of lots of shopping with all the girls mainly talking about beauty and blogging in general. Sophia has organised ANOTHER meetup to take place on Saturday 13th April 2013 in Nottingham

Anybody can come to the Nottingham #bbloggers meetup just so long as you are a blogger! You don't specifically have to be a beauty blogger; fashion and lifestyle etc bloggers are just as welcome! All I ask is that if you are under 16, you must have parental permission and make sure that your parents are aware where you will be and from what times.

Where is it?

The Nottingham #bbloggers meetup will take place in Nottingham City Center. We will meet outside the Nottingham City Hall, next to the lions (big, BIG statues of lions!) Nottingham has a huge array of shops to suit everybody including its very own Space NK, MAC, Lush, The Body Shop, Topshop, Primark, big department stores as well as small boutiques. There is something for everyone to enjoy!

What time is it?

The meeting time is 11am and we will remain at the lions until 11.30am for any of those who are running late or can't make 11am exactly. This will be an all day meetup until 8pm although you do not have to stay all day and you can go whenever you are ready!

What will we do?

At the last #bbloggers meetup that Sophia arranged, we went for a starbucks, did some shopping and then those who remained all went to Nando's for dinner. You can find out exactly what happened at the previous Nottingham #bbloggers meetup here. There is no definite plans as personally I think that definite plans can make meetups slightly boring! So we shall see where the day takes us.

If you have any questions

If you have anything else that you would like to know or ask about the meetup than you can tweet me or any of the other girls:

Friday, 4 January 2013

I'm one of those people who never really was fussed about what tweezers I used, so long as they were pointed then they were good to go. I've never been able to get along with slanted tweezers - it's maybe because I've grown up using pointed ones that I've never had the chance to use them. Until I lost my trusty pair of pointed tweezers and had to resort to slanted ones until I opened up Mister Mascara Precision Point Tweezers* on Christmas Day.

I remember seeing these bad boys on Feel Unique a few months ago and just falling in love with them. Whether that's because I found the brand name funny or because they were everything I wanted in a pair of tweezers is beyond me.

These tweezers were designed for precision tweezing hence why they're pointed because they're just the ticket for tackling short, difficult ingrown hairs which allows you to get your eyebrows looking perfect in just under ten minutes flat. They are a bit of a pain to get used to but as soon as you've learnt how to use them, they're a beaut.

You can purchase Mister Mascara Precision Point Tweezers from Feel Unique, Amazon, Beauty Bay and the Mister Mascara Website.

Thursday, 3 January 2013

I've seen so many people recently all pledge that they wouldn't spend a single penny for 100 days on unnessary things that they do not need. I've seen one of my good friends Sophia from Tattooed Tea Lady succeed in hers last year despite all the temptations from the Summer sales.

Considering that it's only 100 days until the Nottingham #bbloggers Meet Up, I thought what better chance than now to take part in my very own 100 Day Spending Ban which will end on the 13th April 2013.

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Everybody has their own set of rules and obviously the main point of the spending ban is to stop spending money on things that you don't necessarily need. These are my rules which have been catered to my needs specifically:

UPDATE:If I reach the £400 before the 100 days are up, then I can stop the spending ban as that's my ideal goal.

1. I am not allowed to buy any more beauty products which includes makeup, skincare, hair care and body care.

I have plenty within each category to last me for the next 100 days so I really don't have any reason why I should buy something.

- IF I run out of something then I should have a back-up or something similar to replace it.

As I really want to try and use up as many products as possible in 2013.

- The only real exception to this is eyelash extensions where I will be allowed to buy £20 worth (4 packets) when I run out of my current stash.

2. I am allowed to buy clothing with the only rule being that it's second hand as I find high street prices ridiculous. My budget for this each month is between £50 - £60.

3. I am not allowed to buy any more books, bedroom decor and other bits and bobs as I really don't need them.

4. I am not allowed to buy any food when I am out and about unless there is no other option.

5. Any money I make from selling things on eBay will be going towards my clothing fund whereas the money I save is going into my saving account ready for the #bbloggers meet up.

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If you're taking part in your very own 100 Day Spending Ban, then please let me know and we can keep eachother from spending excessive amounts on things that we don't necessarily need!

Wednesday, 2 January 2013

Despite doing a December Favourites (see here) I thought that I better share my top 12 products of 2012. These are products that I use daily which I adore and products which I reach for over others and products that I would recommend to anybody and everybody to try out for themselves.

Moisturiser wise nothing was going to beat the Superdrug Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream for me. This is the best moisturiser that I'd discovered during 2012 which really sunk into my skin and left my skin looking and feeling radiant. I always wash my hair every other day but for those days when I forget to wash my hair, Superdrug Dry Shampoo was the only dry shampoo I used. I love their scents and they do the job well at keeping my hair refreshed doing washes. One hair product that really stood out to me in 2012 was the TRESemme Keratin Deep Treatment Masque which has helped change my dry, dull locks into hair that could rival Rapunzels anyday. My holy grail hair oil without a doubt is the Organix Macadamia Oil which helps mend any split ends whilst softening my hair leaving it with a vibrant shine. You can my review here.

I had to mention The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser as it's a two in one product which changed the way I viewed primers in 2012. It helped make my makeup last longer as well as helping fight against any blemishes I had with it's beneficial tea tree. It's absolutely perfect! You can read my review here. 2012 was definitely the year of the BB cream so I had to include my all time favourite 17 BB Cream in Medium. It provides medium coverage whilst giving a natural finish. You can read my review here. A product that I use on an everyday basis that I couldn't live without in 2012 is VIVO Baked Bronze in Healthy Glow. I use this as a bronzer and to contonur and just gives the nicest pop of colour without looking too orange or overdone. I'd tried many lipsticks throughout 2012 and none of them stood out to me more than Natural Collection Moisture Shine Lipstick in Apple Blossom. It's one of the nicest nude shades that I've come across which is ideal for everyday use. Despite the wear time being a couple of hours at most is perfect for when you just need a slight hint of colour on your lips.

One product that revolutionised skincare for me in 2012 was The Body Facial Buffer. Ideally, it is just a buffer that exfoliates your skin but it has improved my skin in so many ways! It makes blemishes disappear faster, skin left looking radiant and just the general appearance of my skin looked a lot brighter. For my eyes, nothing could beat Salon System Individual Lashes Ultra as these are my go to lashes. When applied, I'm good to go for two to three weeks depending on how I care for them. They look natural enough to not draw attention to them during the day but full enough so that I don't feel the need to wear a lot of makeup. I couldn't live without Sally Hansen Insta-Dri as it's been a complete life saver for when I've painted my nails! It made my nails dry quicker and giving me chip proof nails for a few days as well. I'm so glad that I bought into this hype in 2012! Lastly, the Twist and Out Instant Nail Polish Remover has helped me when removing my nail polish which was and still is every week or so. It makes the whole removing varnish stage a lot quicker and easier than before. You can read my review here.

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

It's that time of the month again where I get to share what products I have finished. I'm some what glad that I've managed to finish up a few products in particular as they've been laying around for quite a long time thus making room for repurchases or buying something new its in place.

I was very sad to see my Radox Eastern Spirit Bath Soak go as I really enjoyed using this in my baths. I used it every time I had a bath to create bubbles and this created so many bubbles! It also made the bathroom smell so good which is probably the rejuvenating blend of oriental lotus flower with orange blossom. I finished up the Magnolia Bath & Shower Gel which has been linguering in the bathroom for god knows how many years. It was an alright product - it made a sufficient amount of bubbles but it is most definitely something that I wouldn't be repurchasing. I don't normally fake tan but throughout December I had a few Christmas parties to go to so I finally got the chance to finish up W7 Tights In A Tin. I cannot fault the application for this as you simply spray it on and wait a few moments before dressing. The only downside to this was that it did make me look a tad orange. Another product that I was sad to see go was the Royal Jelly & Pure Honey Body Scrub as this really helped to exfoliate my arms. It was a little too rough at times but it left my arms feeling silky smooth and I would definitely consider repurchasing this. I finished up quite a few samples including Tresemme Luxurious Moisture Shampoo/Conditioner, Tresemme Moisture Rich Shampoo/Conditioner and Pantene Pro-V Repair & Protect Shampoo. I cannot really say whether they did the trick or not but it was a nice change to use up a few samples.

I finished up Superdrug Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser which I started to really enjoy towards the end of it. At first, I couldn't get on with it as the smell of it was rather weird but I grew to love it. It didn't really leave my face looking radiant but it did make my face look a lot healthier in the long run. When I finished up Tresemme Keratin Deep Treatment Masque, I rushed out the very next day to repurchase it. I used this regularly instead of a weekly treatment as my hair is pretty damaged and it left it feeling silky smooth and full of life again. I will continue repurchasing this until they discontinue it! Another product that I rushed out to repurchase was the Superdrug Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream. I stopped using this after I came back from America but I rekindled my love for it and its been bliss ever since. This sinks into my skin so quickly leaving my skin look radiant and healthy again. I've already repurchased this and a back up for it! Just like in every empties, you can expect to see Lacura 3 in 1 Facial Cleansing Wipes - this month I finished two up! They're good to use for a variety of things and not just my face. I finished up a Golden Wonder Bath Bomb from Lush which I really enjoyed - it fizzed up releasing gold and blueness into my bath along with stars. This was a nice treat to use on Christmas Eve! I also finished up another bath bomb from Lush in the shape of their Boogg Bath Bomb which is in the shape of a snow mans head. This fizzed up really quickly and was gone within 30 seconds or so - it was a nice treat but I wouldn't say that I would be repurchasing it as I don't think it did much. I went through a pack of Allura Cotton Pads this month. They're good for toning and cleansing and they do the trick. I still have quite the stash of these so I won't be repurchasing any time soon.

I finally finished up the Rimmel Recover Foundation which I really do like - it's such a shame that it has been discontiued! It's a bit like the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation but with a little more shimmer in it. It leaves a dewy natural finish which just looks flawless. I'm glad that I've got a back up of this bad boy and I am determined to find somebody online who sells this! I've finished up another pack of Salon System Individual Lashes Ultra - these are my go to lashes and I wouldn't change them for the world. I've decided to throw away the ELF Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara despite not finishing it as it's gotten rather yucky and disgusting. It definitely did the job at taming my brows and I would consider repurchasing it. Another throwaway product is the MUA Brush-On Concealer Pen which has dried up completely - there is no way I can use it! I reviewed it back in November and I came to use it a couple of weeks ago to when I discovered it's dried up. It was rather crappy anyway but I'm gutted that I've wasted money on it. I used up a sample of the Vichy Idelia Pro Deep Corrector which I found didn't do anything at all in the terms of correcting apart from moisturising my skin. It's a nice product none the less but I wouldn't mind if it actually did something. I've also used up a sample of the Max Factor Face Finity Foundation which I really liked - it left a flawless natural finish which covered up all my blemishes. I will definitely consider purchasing this in full size. Lastly, I finished up a sample of the Nivea Express Hydration Primer. I really did like this but I don't think it did much in terms of making my makeup last longer.I used up a whooping 24 products this month! How many did you use up?

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Like many people, I have a passion for all things beauty. Everything on this blog is written in my own opinion and is not biased by anyone else. The views are entirely my own which is how it will always be. All photos are my own, unless stated otherwise. Any posts marked with an * are PR samples/items which have been gifted to me through work/family or items that I've won in a competition/giveaway.

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